The Nightmare
by Agent SouthDakota
Summary: Ever imagined or thought of one of the turtles dead or dying? Raphael in this story is...well..let's just say put to rest. I hope you enjoy and please leave a review. Thanks XD


It was another regular battle,turtles vs Shredder. Nothing uncommon, nothing unruly. Michaelangelo,Donatello,and Raphael rushed the Shredder, trying to dodge the ninja stars that some foot ninja threw at them. It was not that simple,everyone knows that. The Shredder hit the three turtles to the side,not caring if they fell off the rooftop or not. Leonardo who was fighting foot ninja, turned around to see his brothers thrown into the edge of the rooftop. "No!", Leo screamed. The Shredder turned to him and started fighting with all his might,Leo was left to fight alone. Mikey and Donnie had fell into unconsciousness,but Raph still laid awake,his eyes closed. He groaned from the pain in his shell. It had formed a bigger crack. His eyes suddenly shot open. A pain in his side made him stop from screaming Leo's name. "Leo..",Raph groaned instead of screamed. Leo turned around distracted. "Raph! You're ok!",Leo said,not noticing anything of the fight anymore. Raph smiled,trying to signal he was ok, but the smile faded away as soon as it came. "Leo! Look out!",Raph screamed. Leo turned around,not in time. Shredder hit him against a wall which left Leonardo groaning and leaning onto the wall for support."Time to say goodbye turtle",the Shredder smirked. Raph stood up,the Shredder raised his sword,Leo closed his blue eyes. Raph jumped in front of Leo,the blade of Shredder's sword met with a spot with a soft thunk. A large crack sound rang throughout the rooftop. Leo opened his eyes. "Raph? Raph?! NO!",Leo screamed.

The Shredder dropped Raph's body,a bloody pool spreading around him. "Ugh,he wasn't worthy of me killing him. He is to...ugh never mind",the Shredder said with a disgusted voice. He looked at Leo who was watching him, staring. "Until we meet again turtle",the Shredder turned around,"My ninja! Abandon the mission. We have made our mark". The foot clan left,not making a sound. Leo crawled over to Raph who was gasping for air. Raph looked at Leo with his green eyes. "L...Leo?",Raph stammered. Leo watched his brother in fear. "Raph...why?",Leo whispered to him. Shredder was kind enough to take out the sword from Leo's brother,but it left the deepest hole Leo could ever imagine. Raph ignored Leo's question and looked at his now stirring brothers,Mikey and Donnie. Raph looked back at Leo,his eyes filled with anxiety. "Can you check on Mikey and Don for me",Raph asked Leo like it was the one thing he wanted done before he died. Leo swallowed. "No,Raph. They're fine...we have to worry about you right now",Leo replied,worried and filled with fear. Raph shook his head. "Leo...please",Raph said. Leo hesitated but ended walking toward Donnie and Mikey who had sat up,rubbing their heads,groaning. Mikey spotted Leo first."Did we win,Leo?",Mikey groaned. Leo looked down in shame. "Leo...what happ-what's wrong?",Donnie asked. Leo knelt down beside Donnie and whispered something into his ear. Donnie gasped with fright and concern. Mikey's eyes widened in wonder. "What happened?! What's going on, Leo? I wanna know!",Mikey asked. Leo looked down on his little brother. "Not now Mikey, we have to take care of someone..I mean something",Leo helped Donnie onto his feet. They walked over to Raph and knelt down,covering up anything they could from Mikey. Mikey got up and walked and crouched behind Leo. "Can I see?", Mikey asked. "No,Mikey",Donnie replied,his voice shaky. "Come on dudes! I wanna see!",Mikey started pushing Leo. "Mike-NO!",Mikey pushed Leo aside and looked into the dying eyes of Raph.

Mikey stared into Raph's green eyes,his eyes tearing up. "Raph….?",Mikey asked his voice shakier than Donnie's. "Hey...Mikey",Raph said, half-heartedly. Raph's eyes close for a whole minute and when they opened, they seem drained of color. "Raph...hang in there. I'll go home,get Master Splinter and some supplies and you'll be ok",Donnie said. Before Donnie could get up,Raph grabbed Donnie's arm using the very little strength he had. "Donnie...you're smart,you know I won't stay awake that long",Raph said. Donnie swallowed dryly. Raph let go of Donnie's arm,leaving a bloody hand mark. Mikey broke into tears,though his crying was soft. Leo looked down in shame. "Raph...why didn't you let me die?",Leo asked him. Raph looked up at Leo. His eyes showed a spark of bravery. "If you died,I couldn't live anyway. Better me than my only older brother who has a life ahead of him",Raph said shakily. Mikey fell on top of Raph,hugging him and sobbing. "Please Raph! Don't leave us",Mikey sobbed. "It's alright Mikey,you have Leo and Donnie",Raph replied,sadly. "B..but our family isn't complete without you",Mikey cried. "I know,but I'd rather die before my brothers",Raph replied to him,his breathing getting shallow. "Don't talk like that! We can get you back to the lair! You'll be fine! Come on!",Mikey screamed. Raph didn't reply. He looked up at the sky,the stars shone in his eyes,twinkling what little light that they could into Raph's dark eyes. "Leo...promise me you'll take care of our little brothers",Raph said without taking his eyes off the sky. Leo gasped. "Raph,I…",Leo started. Raph looked at him. "Promise me,Leo!",Raph pushed nodded and said,"I promise". "Now you keep that promise",Raph replied looking back in the sky. Raph breathed in a shallow breath and when he let it go,his body went limp with death.

"R..raph?",Mikey whispered. "Raph wake up!",Mikey said,shaking his dead brother's limp,cold body. "Raph! NO!",Mikey screamed. Donnie stood up,he grabbed Mikey's arm and pulled him off Raph. "Stop! Let go of me! Raph!",Mikey screamed. Donnie walked Mikey away,they jumped off the roof,Mikey screaming Raph's name. Leo stood up,looking down at Raph. Leo looked up at the stars. A tear went down Leo's face. "I'm sorry little brother",Leo said. Leo picked up Raph's body and walked slowly off the rooftop.

Donnie and Mikey got to the lair first. Donnie let go of Mikey. Mikey fell to the floor sobbing. Donnie fell beside him,trying to keep a straight face for his only little brother. "Michaelangelo? Is that you?",Master Splinter called from another room. He walked out of the dojo to see Mikey and Donnie on the floor. Master Splinter ran to Mikey. He sat in front of him. "My son,what is wrong",Master Splinter asked. Mikey drove his knees into his chest. Donnie pat Mikey on the back but Mikey moved to the side,restraining from his brother. Leo walked in,Raph's body slung over his shoulder. Donnie looked back at Leo and started to cry,he then drove his face into his legs. Master Splinter looked up to see Leo. He gasped in fright. He stood up and walked over to Leo and took Raph's body and laid it on the ground. "Master...Sensei...I",Leo started. Master Splinter raised a hand to silence the stammering Leonardo. "What happened,Leonardo",Master Splinter asked,his voice shaking. Master Splinter sat next to Raph,looking him up and down,examining the scars that was plastered onto the body. Leo looked down in shame. "Raph...he..he saved me",Leo said. Splinter lifted Raph's head to his chest and tucked it in like it was the most precious thing in the world. Leo threw his katanas down. "It's all my fault!",Leo yelled. "No Leonardo,it is not your fault. Raphael chose to die for you",Splinter told his oldest son. "He should've just let me die instead!",Leo said,"I'm the oldest and I'm responsible for my little brothers and now I lost one!" Splinter laid down Raph's head gently and stood up. He hugged Leo tightly. "Raphael would never want his only oldest brother to say that", Splinter told Leo. Leo broke into a sob. Mikey got up,seeing his chance and sat beside his brother's limp,red body. "Raph,this...", Mikey trailed off. "I can't live without ya,Raphie. I promise I'll never ever forget you. I'll avenge your death", Mikey whispered to the cold,lifeless Raphael. Mikey stood up quietly, hoping and dreaming on not being noticed,and walked to his room. His eyes became very interested in the floor. Donnie stood up. His eyes met Raphael's dead hand. Donnie immediately looked to the side. He couldn't handle it. Splinter put his hands on Leonardo's shoulders. "Your brother was very honorable. We shall hold his memory. Yet we cannot withhold this grudge,my sons",Splinter spoke to Leo and Donnie. Their eyes met his. "As Michealangelo's brothers and I his father, we must help him through this. But will be a battle we will most likely not win,for this wound will turn into the deepest scar",Splinter wisdom burned into Donnie's and Leo's minds. They looked at each other. Leo looked into Splinter's eyes. Splinter nodded with permission. Leo grabbed Donatello's arm. They ran up to Mikey's door and knocked. Nothing answered. Splinter sighed and looked away from their attempts,hoping that Michealangelo would answer. Splinter's gaze rested on the body. "I'm proud of you,my son",Splinter whispered,"May you rest in peace".

Splinter sat beside Raphael. He felt Raph's cut arm,the wounds were deep. Deeper than any he had ever gotten. Something a young student shouldn't have to experience or even think about. A chill that felt like beetles running up and down shivered up Splinter's spine. Tears flowed from his eyes. A cold hand rested upon his shoulder. "Tang Shen?",Splinter asked,already knowing the presence of his wife. He looked back to see his wife. Her cheeks were flushed,her lips full and a light red. Her black hair flowed behind her back and her brown eyes twinkled. She seemed to hover above the floor,her form was transparent. Splinter could see the wall right through Tang Shen's body. Her hand lifted from his shoulder and waved at Raphael. It was if she was trying to get him to wake up and run over. To Splinter's surprise,Raphael stood up. His spirit,not his body. It wasn't covered in wounds or blood. His skin was green,his mask a dark red,not a blood red. His eyes were filled with their natural green. Tang Shen smiled, showing bright,white teeth. Raphael looked down at Splinter. His mouth moved but all Splinter heard was silence. Nothing to be heard,nothing to pull in. Raphael's eyes looked at Tang Shen. Splinter could see the fear that tore at him. Tang Shen waved at Raphael again. Raphael's eyes grew calm. Splinter no longer saw his happy, sometimes angry son,he saw something else. He saw confidence,he saw love, he saw...family. Raphael walked away from the body and stood in front of Tang Shen. Raph bowed to her and at that moment Splinter thought he heard the word 'mother'. Splinter watched Raph stand up slowly and not look back. Splinter felt crushed but it wasn't knowing his son wouldn't look at him, it was of the knowledge that his son will lose memories. Memories that could not be brung back. Splinter put his shaking hands over his wet face. His body began to feel warm,it was coming back slowly. Splinter's voice shakes but he managed to whisper, "Tang Shen will take care of you,my Raphael".


End file.
